Saul and David (Part 4)

We’re always looking for ideas to get the most out of Dr. Jeannie’s lessons. With this in mind, the following questions were provided by the Bible study group at St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in Cambridge, MA. These questions are related to both Saul and David (Part 4) and David.
  1. What is St. Augustine’s typological explanation of the story of David and Saul in the cave?
  2. The Fathers disagree about the interpretation of the story of Saul and the Witch of Endor. Which Father’s explanation resonates most strongly with you? Does choosing one interpretation over the other change the moral of the story?
  3. Origen’s explanation touches on the issue of Samuel being called up from Hades. Why did people have a problem with Samuel being in Hades? What is different about how we think of Hades in the Orthodox tradition vs. other traditions (ex. Sheol, Purgatory)?
  4. How can we strike a balance between guarding ourselves from the influence of the Devil (ex. shun Black Magic), and function in the world (we cannot completely shut out everything that seems suspicious)?
  5. Dr. Jeannie explains that the Devil tempts us not only with obvious sins, but also sins that seem to be acts of reason/righteousness — how can we avoid falling prey to these sins?
  6. What did David do to be regarded as the first “real” King of Israel? Why did God prevent him from building the Temple, if the killing committed was following God’s command?

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